26 October,2019 06:32 AM IST | Mumbai | Sonil Dedhia
A still from Housefull 4
Housefull 4 is among the finest films that we have seen in recent years. I'd definitely call it an Oscar contender. C'mon, much like Aakhri Pasta, 'I'm ah joking!' Honestly, I believe that the amount you enjoy this film is inversely proportional to your IQ. Of course, the cast and crew never promised a good story or great performances, so I wasn't stepping in looking for logic. Yet, this is the weakest link of the franchise, so far.
A reincarnation comedy, Housefull 4 is based in two distinct years - 1419 and 2019. In 2019, the scene is set in London; in 1419, we're taken to Sitamgarh. An entire bunch of people in an ancient kingdom are reborn to pursue their love after their romance was cut short due to misunderstandings and greed.
Housefull 4 features comic-actors including Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh and Chunky Pandey, and Rana Daggubati and Bobby Deol. Is the film's humour a saving grace, you ask? Sample these cherry-picks: At one point, a character who is faking her pregnancy, says, "Main abla hoon, tabla nahin." In response, another character responds: "Ye Katapa toh ek hi cut me pappa ban gaya." The makers took the theme of reincarnation so seriously that three pigeons - Neil, Nitin and Mukesh - also enjoy a second life 600 years later. For a film that touts itself to be a comedy, the laughs that this one inspires are far and few. The jokes are so lame that they hurt, and by the time the second half unfolds, nothing seems coherent. At 146 minutes, it is unnecessarily long, and you begin to wonder if every minute is a step further to nothingness. It's almost like the viewer is forced to find the humour in the script.
The actors definitely seem to have had a blast. After his streak of patriotic films, Kumar sleepwalks through this. Deshmukh, blessed with comic timing that never fails, is a treat to watch. Although he puts up a fair act, Deol brings little to the table. Daggubati as the desi Khal Drogo seems to be a miscast, and the three girls, Kriti Sanon, Pooja Hegde and Kriti Kharbanda, merely add to the glam quotient. This Diwali, you'd rather enjoy a house full of guests instead of this film.
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